Learning French can be a lot of fun, but it’s a really challenging experience for some students. They may find it hard to stay motivated, or they may just not be that interested in French in the first place. As their teachers, it’s so important that we identify these struggles early and offer targeted support to help them overcome language-learning hurdles.
Here are some effective strategies to assist struggling students in our French classes.
Find out why they are struggling.
Are they having trouble with pronunciation? Do they lack confidence when speaking? Is the grammar difficult for them? Do they need to learn at a slower pace (or just need more time to complete assignments outside of class?) Is the amount of information they are expected to learn just too much for them?
If you can identify the specific area of difficulty, you can tailor your approach to meet the unique needs of struggling students.
Break it down for them.
Language learning can feel overwhelming, especially if students are trying to grasp complex concepts all at once. It doesn’t even matter if the task is too challenging. Some students will get overwhelmed if they look at a long vocabulary list, even if half of the words on there are cognates and will be easy to learn.
Use chunking!
What is that exactly? It’s just what is sounds like: breaking things down into smaller, manageable chunks. Instead of tackling a huge vocabulary list all at once, they could practice 5-10 new vocabulary words each day. It will make the full list of 30 words much less daunting.
It’s a common accommodation on plans for students with ADHD, but it can benefit any student who is feeling overwhelmed by too much information.
Incorporate visual and auditory supports.
We all have different learning styles that we prefer when we are learning new information. That doesn’t mean that we can’t learn any other way, but it might be less efficient or even less fun for us.
Visual learners might benefit from seeing the words in different contexts. Try using visual aids such as flashcards, color-coded charts, and word walls to reinforce word meanings and grammatical structures.
Find this French word wall for ER verbs at my TpT store.
For students who learn best when hearing information, listening to French songs, podcasts, or watching French-language movies with subtitles can be a great tool to help them improve their comprehension and pronunciation while making the experience more enjoyable.
The bonus of adding different supports? All students will benefit from a variety of ways to practice and learn material, even if it isn’t their preferred method of learning.
They need to practice consistently.
Mastery comes through consistent practice, but students might feel discouraged when they’re not immediately successful. To help, encourage them to create a routine where they dedicate 15-20 minutes daily to French practice.
If they try to memorize all their Vandertramp verbs the night before a passé composé test, they probably won’t do that well. Regular exposure and practice are key to helping students internalize what they’ve learned.
Make it fun!
Let’s face it: A lot of us became French teachers because we think grammar is interesting. That doesn’t mean our students do!
They may not all go on to major in French in college, but we can make the most of the time we have with them by doing fun activities they love.
Things like French board games, Boom Cards™️, or fun French projects can motivate even the most-bored students in our classes.
Find this French board game at my TpT store.
Use group activities to help support struggling students.
Students often learn more effectively when they can practice with others. Create opportunities for small group activities where students can help each other. You can mix up the groups to differentiate for ability so that some times struggling students will work with others of their level and only focus on the most important tasks and at other times, they will work with students who are more-advanced and they’ll get some support from their group. It’s a great way to build student confidence!
Use positive feedback to build their confidence.
Struggling students may lose confidence quickly. It’s important to provide constructive feedback, but also highlight their progress, no matter how small. Encouraging phrases like “You’ve improved so much in the past few weeks!” or “Your pronunciation on this word is spot-on!” can boost their confidence and motivate them to keep pushing forward.
Offer afterschool help if you can.
Some students may need additional support outside of class. If you have the time and feel so inclined, you can offer an afterschool help session or create a study group.
In some schools where I worked, these days were part of our contracted hours, but when it wasn’t, I chose a day when I stayed late and they could come and make up tests and/or get homework help. It was usually a day when I stayed to organized lessons anyways. I would take 5-10 minutes helping and then let them work individually. On most days, I was easily able to get my work done while helping struggling students.
Sometimes, they just need a little individualized attention to fully grasp the material. For some students, they simply did not have a quiet place at home to study, so opening my classroom to them gave them a place where they could focus, even if they didn’t need extra help.
Help struggling students reframe their thinking.
Language learning is a gradual process, and it’s okay to make mistakes. Help them celebrate their efforts, and teach them to view challenges as opportunities for growth. Reinforcing a growth mindset in your classroom can help motivate struggling students even when progress feels slow.
Supporting struggling students requires patience, creativity, and a personalized approach. With the right tools and strategies, you can help them develop the skills needed to succeed. Most importantly, help struggling students develop a positive attitude toward the learning process and remind them that every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating.
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